Macon County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Macon County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 73.8 of 100, higher than 73% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by landslide, cold wave. Its storm record holds 495 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.8 | $3.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 93.4 | $7.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 75.2 | $453K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 73.3 | $199K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 70.8 | $10M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.6 | $577K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 66.3 | $308K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 60.9 | $1.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 50.9 | $426K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 47.1 | $175K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 34.1 | $27K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 32.9 | $25K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 58.5 | $57K |
| Heat Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 165 | 0 | – | 20th of 100 | 324th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 88 | 0 | $657K | 90th of 100 | 1918th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 72 | 0 | $8K | 70th of 100 | 1602nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 44 | 0 | $1.2M | 18th of 100 | 426th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 38 | 1 | $8.9M | 50th of 100 | 1155th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 37 | 0 | – | 23rd of 100 | 586th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 0 | $2.8M | 16th of 100 | 670th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 14 | 0 | $2.6M | 20th of 100 | 276th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | $142K | 21st of 100 | 593rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $1.3M | 94th of 100 | 2507th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 4 | $2.7M | 11th of 100 | 131st of 2,278 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $1.4M | 96th of 100 | 923rd of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 17th of 100 | 901st of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Macon County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.